Get set for the happiest day of the year – World Chocolate Day

Chocolate. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't love it. Why? Because it's synonymous with happiness. Think about it. What would a celebration be without chocolate?

It represents a life lived richer. Imagine a birthday party without chocolate. A dinner party without it (yes, we're harking back to our childhood here when mum and dad would bring out the chocolate After Dinner Mints). Remember, as a child, how exciting it was when someone turned up to a family gathering with a box of Roses. Those times your grandparents would arrive with a bar of chocolate as a treat and the wonder you felt discovering a new flavour. Even baking chocolate chip cookies in kitchen with your older siblings (and making an almighty mess in the process). It evokes so many memories from childhood – and maybe that's why we love it so much as adults.

So to celebrate all that chocolate means to us, some absolute geniuses came up with concept of World Chocolate Day (someone award those people a Nobel Prize!). That's right – a whole day dedicated to the wonder of chocolate. Could it just about be the happiest day of the year?!

Chocolate has been around for thousands of years. The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of the god of wisdom. It was consumed in various forms – even traded as currency. Cadbury set up shop in England as early as 1831, but we have Joseph Fry to thank for the invention of the first modern chocolate bar back in 1847.

It has been one of life's great pleasures ever since. It was even offered as part of soldiers' rations in World War II - such was the lure of it. A comforting reminder of home. And let's not forget the movies dedicated to its wonder (think Gene Wilder in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Johnny Depp in Chocolat).

World Chocolate Day is coming up fast – July 7th in fact – and Cadbury want to help you celebrate it with the ones you love.

They've spent six weeks road tripping around the country giving Kiwis the opportunity to share Cadbury Dairy Milk together. It's all about bringing us together to share a moment with someone we care about. Cadbury's dedicated team of chocolate ambassadors have been keeping track at each of the 28 locations around the country so they can reveal who Kiwis love to share chocolate with the most. Will it be mum, dad, your nana or your BFF?

The road trip ends in Christchurch on World Chocolate Day and it will culminate in an almighty celebration at Cadbury's very own World Chocolate Day Lounge. They'll be celebrating with Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks to share, giant games, giveaways, special appearances from your favourite Kiwi celebs, music and much more! So head down to the World Chocolate Day Lounge to find out who Kiwis love to share chocolate with the most as well as enjoy all the fanfare!

And if you can't be there, make sure you grab a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk and celebrate World Chocolate Day with your loved ones. After all, chocolate is made to be shared.

Cadbury will be hosting celebrations at their very own World Chocolate Day Lounge.